Tanya with Rochel Schmukler
תניא - עם רחל שמוקלר
Rochel Schmukler • 186 episodes
Rochel Schmukler
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51
Tanya Compiler's Foreword part 2. Can you hear the Divine voice that speaks directly to your heart in the Torah?
Tanya Compiler's Foreword part 2. Can you hear the Divine voice that speaks directly to your heart in the Torah?
Jan 19, 2024
48:55
Can a book truly reach you on a personal level like a teacher can? Your soul is rooted in the Torah and connected through the Torah to Hashem. And yet, even a book founded on Torah might not give you the guidance you seek, as not everyone is fortunate enough to discern their unique place in the Torah.
52
Tanya Title Page and Compiler's Foreword part 1. I know what you're thinking - A book like this should never be written!
Tanya Title Page and Compiler's Foreword part 1. I know what you're thinking - A book like this should never be written!
Jan 11, 2024
44:45
The Alter Rebbe opens his seminal work, which comes to explain a verse from the Torah, “for this matter is very near to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, to do it.” The method of the book is “the long but short way,” and it is meant to take the place of a private audience with the Rebbe. Naturally, we resist this substitute for personal guidance! The Alter Rebbe speaks to us and tells us that he is fully aware of our resistance and deeply held reservations. Spiritual guidance must be personal, from teacher to student. How can a book accomplish this? There are so many inherent limitations to receiving spiritual guidance from a book. Firstly, what if you’re not in the right space to understand the message, either spiritually or intellectually?
53
Tanya Chapter 47. Personal liberation and transcendence every single day
Tanya Chapter 47. Personal liberation and transcendence every single day
Dec 21, 2023
47:56
The liberation from Egypt wasn't a one-time historical event. This is a personal experience, between me and my G-d, every single day. He comes to get me from where I am, and pulls me up beyond all worlds, to come close to Him in total fusion and unity. Nothing can get in the way of this fusion through Torah and mitzvoth except for one thing: lack of desire on our part.
54
Tanya Chapter 46 part 5. I'm like a beast! But that doesn't alter the reality of the situation
Tanya Chapter 46 part 5. I'm like a beast! But that doesn't alter the reality of the situation
Dec 14, 2023
47:51
55
Tanya Chapter 46 part 4. Could you imagine that Hashem calls Himself by your name?
Tanya Chapter 46 part 4. Could you imagine that Hashem calls Himself by your name?
Dec 1, 2023
45:29
Now we explore the second meaning of "kideshanu" in the blessing for mitzvot. Hashem has literally made us holy with His intrinsic holiness, which is completely beyond the worlds. He becomes your G-d, His Essence manifesting through you, when you carry out a mitzvah, and thus we are obligated to stand up for someone who is fulfilling a mitzvah, even if they are ignorant and a boor. In the act of a mitzvah, you become a chariot for the Divine just like Patriarchs. The only difference is, that their bodies were refined, so they felt it, and the rest of us are beset with the darkness of the body which obscures the incredible fusion that we experience.
56
Tanya Chapter 46 part 3. The opportunity to reach beyond the created realm to a realm where only Essence exists
Tanya Chapter 46 part 3. The opportunity to reach beyond the created realm to a realm where only Essence exists
Nov 23, 2023
46:59
In giving us the Torah, Hashem has given us His very Self and Essence. Torah study is the Divine kiss – fusion so deep, where our essence merges with the Divine Essence. Hashem also embraces us in love by giving us His commandments, which are His limbs so to speak. His love for us is so great, and the fusion between us so complete, this is the reason why we say that Hashem has betrothed us with His commandments, like the fusion of man and wife who merge into one being and become one flesh. How tremendous is the love that Hashem shows us! If we call our attention to His love, we cannot help but love Him rapturously in return.
57
Tanya Chapter 46 part 2. Hashem's unfathomable greatness makes His love all the more compelling
Tanya Chapter 46 part 2. Hashem's unfathomable greatness makes His love all the more compelling
Nov 16, 2023
45:33
58
Tanya Chapter 46 part 1. Tap in to your natural resources so that your heart mirrors Divine love
Tanya Chapter 46 part 1. Tap in to your natural resources so that your heart mirrors Divine love
Nov 7, 2023
42:48
Here's a new method of feeling love for Hashem and this one is "very, very" accessible. This method requires only tapping in to your basic, natural self. It is part of human nature for one heart to reflect another, so that when someone loves you, it elicits love in response. Let's look at an analogy of a great, mighty king showing love to a lowly, despicable person in the dumps. What magnitude of love would this evoke?
59
Tanya Chapter 45 part 2. Compassion gives way to incredibly deep connection. Spirit to spirit
Tanya Chapter 45 part 2. Compassion gives way to incredibly deep connection. Spirit to spirit
Oct 27, 2023
47:03
Yaakov, who embodied Divine compassion of the world of Atzilut, aroused compassion for Rachel, who embodied the source of all Jewish souls. Through raising his voice, he reached to a place beyond himself, to a place of boundless Divine mercies. Through crying, he was able to pull down this compassion, allowing us to awaken compassion for the Divine spark within us. And with a kiss, he channeled the ability to reconnect the Divine spark within us to its Source, spirit to Spirit, whenever we study Torah and perform mitzvot –– particularly acts of kindness.
60
Tanya Chapter 45 part 1. Have you ever considered having compassion for G-d?
Tanya Chapter 45 part 1. Have you ever considered having compassion for G-d?
Oct 20, 2023
48:39
If you are truly acting for the sake of Hashem, your driving force is the emotions you hold for Him. Either you love Hashem and so you want to connect with Him or make Him happy; or, you are inspired by awe and reverence, and tremble at the thought of ever being separated from Him. Now we explore a third way to act for the sake of Hashem, and that is by feeling compassion upon the Spark of Divinity which has descended from total unity with its Source, become enclothed in the body which is called the “serpent’s skin,” and is dragged into unworthy thoughts, speech and deeds. How heart-wrenching! Harness the compassion that this thought engenders to fuel your Torah study and mitzvah performance.
61
Tanya Chapter 44 part 5. Passionate, fiery love comes from realizing the vast distance
Tanya Chapter 44 part 5. Passionate, fiery love comes from realizing the vast distance
Sep 8, 2023
40:16
We are gifted with love as an inheritance: to realize that Hashem is truly my Life, to realize that Hashem is truly my Father. But just because it's innate doesn't mean it is automatic –– it takes effort on our part. That effort brings these loves to a space of "the heart's desire," and brings the Torah and mitzvot produced by their motivation to a higher place than instinct, to the world of intellect, the world of Beriah. These loves encompass elements of instinct, intellect, and Divine gift. So, why should we work hard to cultivate intellectual love from the ground up? Because it ignites the flames of passion, and, moreover, it constitutes the very purpose of Man.
62
Tanya Chapter 44 part 4. The love in your mind may not reach your heart, but it does reach higher realms of reality
Tanya Chapter 44 part 4. The love in your mind may not reach your heart, but it does reach higher realms of reality
Jul 21, 2023
46:40
63
Tanya Chapter 44 part 3. Emotionally experiencing your true essence yields amazing results
Tanya Chapter 44 part 3. Emotionally experiencing your true essence yields amazing results
Jul 7, 2023
41:07
64
Tanya Chapter 44 part 2. Here's how to artificially experience your true emotion
Tanya Chapter 44 part 2. Here's how to artificially experience your true emotion
Jun 29, 2023
43:18
artificially
65
Tanya Chapter 44 part 1. Your unique shade of love cannot be duplicated
Tanya Chapter 44 part 1. Your unique shade of love cannot be duplicated
Jun 19, 2023
48:12
66
Tanya Chapter 43 part 4. Sometimes, you need an emergency prescription of love
Tanya Chapter 43 part 4. Sometimes, you need an emergency prescription of love
Jun 8, 2023
46:24
There's the normal way of doing things –– start with basic fear, practice Torah and mitzvot and then let love illuminate your soul. But sometimes, love has to come first.
67
Tanya Chapter 43 part 3. You can never get enough of what you don't really want
Tanya Chapter 43 part 3. You can never get enough of what you don't really want
May 19, 2023
48:35
There are two levels of love – one is a gift, one is the product of human effort. When you finally arrive, your love becomes divested of all of pseudo loves, and yearns for the one and only true love.
68
Tanya Chapter 43 part 2. A wise person sees beyond the obvious
Tanya Chapter 43 part 2. A wise person sees beyond the obvious
May 9, 2023
50:09
Seeing past the obvious takes things to a whole new level
69
Tanya Chapter 43: Love and fear have two levels. Let's explore. part 1
Tanya Chapter 43: Love and fear have two levels. Let's explore. part 1
Apr 27, 2023
46:58
The vastness of the universe is mind staggering. But still... it's only superficial
70
Tanya Chapter 42 part 5
Tanya Chapter 42 part 5
Apr 20, 2023
1:00:42
You think you can't see Hashem with your physical eye. It's time to reconsider
71
Tanya Chapter 42 part 4
Tanya Chapter 42 part 4
Mar 23, 2023
47:56
Hashem's way of knowing what we're doing is something like the way we know ourselves
72
Tanya Chapter 42 part 3
Tanya Chapter 42 part 3
Mar 16, 2023
43:32
Your essence is intact in a space beyond time. Here's how to pull its influence down so that it can inform your conscious, everyday self
73
Tanya Chapter 42 part 2
Tanya Chapter 42 part 2
Mar 4, 2023
54:01
You can relate to your innate Divine connection as directly as you relate to something you see with your physical eyes. Two steps
74
Tanya Chapter 42: Awakening holy awe –– it's a "small thing." part 1
Tanya Chapter 42: Awakening holy awe –– it's a "small thing." part 1
Mar 2, 2023
45:54
It seems impossible. Until you realize it's part of your core being.
75
Tanya Chapter 41 part 10
Tanya Chapter 41 part 10
Feb 22, 2023
46:52
Can you do this just because it brings Hashem so much joy?
76
Tanya Chapter 41 part 9
Tanya Chapter 41 part 9
Feb 9, 2023
49:44
Establish your intentions
77
Tanya Chapter 41 part 8
Tanya Chapter 41 part 8
Jan 19, 2023
44:11
Your soul can tap into the Garden of Eden still while in a body, and it yearns to experience this.
78
Tanya Chapter 41 part 7
Tanya Chapter 41 part 7
Jan 15, 2023
43:16
You might not mean it with your whole heart, but there's a reason to get into the habit.
79
Tanya Chapter 41 part 6
Tanya Chapter 41 part 6
Jan 6, 2023
49:59
Can you see yourself as a manifestation of the Shechina?
80
Tanya Chapter 41 part 5
Tanya Chapter 41 part 5
Dec 29, 2022
43:36
Maybe your meditation doesn't leave its impression all day – but is it effective in the moment?
81
Tanya Chapter 41 part 4
Tanya Chapter 41 part 4
Dec 29, 2022
42:31
Are you being true to yourself?
82
Tanya Chapter 41 part 3
Tanya Chapter 41 part 3
Dec 15, 2022
51:15
A mitzvah is an incredible opportunity to surrender within our Source, both on a meta-level and as well as on a micro-level.
83
Tanya Chapter 41 part 2
Tanya Chapter 41 part 2
Dec 9, 2022
46:08
To think that we are so close to Hashem!
84
Tanya Chapter 41: Accepting the heavenly yoke is the beginning of it all. part 1
Tanya Chapter 41: Accepting the heavenly yoke is the beginning of it all. part 1
Dec 1, 2022
49:47
Have you ever been in awe?
85
Tanya Chapter 40 part 6
Tanya Chapter 40 part 6
Nov 10, 2022
1:00:49
The higher it is, the farther it reaches.
86
Tanya Chapter 40 part 5
Tanya Chapter 40 part 5
Nov 4, 2022
54:13
Love and fear are two wings.
87
Tanya Chapter 40 part 4
Tanya Chapter 40 part 4
Oct 28, 2022
46:51
A tiny being can initiate vast positive change. When a person learns and prays out of love and fear, the letters he utters are “alive” with spiritual infusion and they rise to the ten sefirot. There, their true identity as the completely unbounded light of Hashem is exposed. In this world below, the radiance of Torah and mitzvot cannot shine, but in the coming future when the world rises out of its materiality, all of that will change.Now, something amazing happens when Torah and mitzvot –– which are the Divine will –– rise to become incorporated within the ten sefirot. The Divine will, which far transcends the sefirot, illuminates them and causes the middot to fuse, “sweetening” the attributes of severity with kindness, thus bringing an increased flow of Divine kindness into our world. And all of this is set into motion by our fulfilling the Torah and mitzvot out of the desire to attach to Hashem in love and out of feelings of awe for Him.
88
Tanya Chapter 40 part 3
Tanya Chapter 40 part 3
Sep 16, 2022
47:02
The secret of intention? The power to send things up from the material world into infinitely higher realities. Man’s animating, speaking soul is subject to the condition which affects the totality of this world –– kelipat nogah. When speaking worthless things, the vivifying soul constitutes a concealing veil, obscuring the Divine life energy within it. However, when the vivifying soul enunciates and powers words of Torah and prayer, it cannot conceal the Divine. In fact, it becomes transformed in the process, being that Torah and mitzvah completely disclose Hashem. However, if the intention to connect to Hashem is lacking, then although there is no concealment, there is a huge constriction which limits the holiness of these words to the realm of the physical. In contrast, when kavanah -– intention –– is infused into words of holiness, it enlivens them and raises them up to their place, to the ten Sefirot of the higher worlds, allowing their true essence to shine.
89
Tanya Chapter 40 part 2
Tanya Chapter 40 part 2
Sep 9, 2022
44:32
Where do differences come from?
90
Tanya Chapter 40: Love and fear are "wings" that transport our acts of holiness to worlds beyond this one. part 1
Tanya Chapter 40: Love and fear are "wings" that transport our acts of holiness to worlds beyond this one. part 1
Aug 23, 2022
48:05
Acts of holiness naturally rise beyond this world. When someone studies Torah without the intention to connect to Hashem, then the study does not rise to become incorporated with the ten sefirot. But it does rise! Torah is essentially holy and so its natural place is in a place of holiness, in the spiritual worlds above ours. In fact, angels are created from these acts of holiness either in our world of Asiya, or in the world of Yetzirah. All this is true so long as there were no contrary intentions. However, if the study was motivated by selfish interest, it remains trapped below in this world.
91
Tanya Chapter 39 part 9
Tanya Chapter 39 part 9
Jul 22, 2022
43:58
Keep doing good things, no matter your intention. When someone studies Torah with self-serving interests, that holy act becomes trapped within the kelipah. But this is only a temporary situation. Once a person returns to Hashem in teshuva, their previous acts of holiness are released and return with them. This is not just a possible outcome. It is a definite outcome! Every person will ultimately do teshuva, whether in this incarnation or another. And once that happens, all acts of holiness from all previous incarnations will be released and ascend to the holy sefirot. For this reason, our Sages said that a person should always engage in Torah study and performance of mitzvot, even if he does so not for their own sake. With regards to Torah and mitzvot done out of habit, teshuva is not needed to raise the acts of holiness to their place in the higher worlds because they were never trapped in the kelipah. All that is needed is to study the same subject again for the sake of Hashem, and that elevates the previous study as well. The same is true of prayer.
92
Tanya Chapter 39 part 8
Tanya Chapter 39 part 8
Jul 15, 2022
43:56
Is a good habit good enough? We are looking at someone whose Torah study and mitzvah performance is not done out of a space of love and fear of Hashem. He acts this way out of habit, having been trained to fear and serve Hashem from youth. This kind of service is not considered truly for the sake of Hashem, because in order to do something for the sake of another, there has to be a motivating emotion of either love or fear. Next we look at someone who has self-serving interests when studying Torah. Not only can't his Torah ascend above, but further, is exiled in the kelipah. It will ultimately be released, so keep studying! We’ll talk about it next class b’ezrat Hashem.
93
Tanya Chapter 39 part 7
Tanya Chapter 39 part 7
Jul 7, 2022
41:58
Knowing the difference can make all of the difference. By analyzing the reward for a mitzvah and being aware of its destination in the spiritual worlds, we can understand something of the essential make-up of a mitzvah. Knowing that a mitzvah powered by love and fear ascends to the higher worlds and becomes incorporated within the ten holy sefirot motivates us to serve Hashem out of a space of awareness and connection. On the other hand, while every act of Torah and mitzvah is inherently holy, a mitzvah done without love and fear lacks the power to ascend to the holy sefirot.
94
Tanya Chapter 39 part 6
Tanya Chapter 39 part 6
Jun 10, 2022
47:43
The world of Atzilus is beyond the intellect of a created being, therefore it is the abode of the sublime souls who served Hashem in a way that completely transcends the intellect. As a chariot is nullified to the rider, these great tzadikim are completely surrendered to the Divine will–– and they, as well as everything that they own, expresses nothing other than the will of Hashem. People who are not capable of this level of surrender because their soul’s root lacks this capacity, have the opportunity to reach this level at times of Divine favor, such as during the amidah prayer. And even though they do occasionally experience the nullification of a chariot, the principal abode of their soul is not in the world of Atzilus. Instead, it is in the world of Beriah, and only on special occasions can it take the opportunity to rise to the world of Atzilus.
95
Tanya Chapter 39 part 5
Tanya Chapter 39 part 5
May 27, 2022
45:59
The world of Atzilus is a world of oneness, and it is completely beyond the grasp of a created being. In that sublime world, the ten sefirot are completely unified with their Emanator, and so utterly and infinitely transcend the mind of a limited creature, no matter how great. A created being does indeed possess the ability to grasp chochmah bina and da’at in the lower world of Beriah and still retain existence due to the tzitzum – the constriction – in that world.
96
Tanya Chapter 39 part 4
Tanya Chapter 39 part 4
May 13, 2022
50:10
There’s a distinction between the soul that serves and the service that it performs. Depending on the level of intention, the soul’s service of Torah and mitzvot rise to be incorporated within the ten sefirot, the Divine life force, in the higher worlds of either Beriah or Yetzirah. But ultimately, the ten sefirot of the world of Atzilus, which are one with their Emanator, the blessed Infinite One, are within the ten sefirot of every world. The soul, on the other hand, remains in abodes and chambers of the world, as a separate being who delights in the radiance of the Shechina –– which turns out to be the radiance of his or her own Divine acts of Torah and mitzvos which they generated when they served down below in this world.
97
Tanya Chapter 39 part 3
Tanya Chapter 39 part 3
May 6, 2022
46:53
Normally, a soul who served Hashem with instinctive love and fear abides in the world of Yetzirah, as does the “ruach” of a righteous person’s soul. However, on special occasions the soul gets to rise to a world beyond its normal self, a privilege not available to angels. Why this special treatment? Because an angel doesn’t have to fight a dark side in order to implement its natural emotions. But a soul clothed in a physical body must resist evil in order to access its natural holiness, and that is tremendous!
98
Tanya Chapter 39 part 2
Tanya Chapter 39 part 2
Apr 29, 2022
48:26
In order to “inhabit” a world, there must be a common bond between the “self” and the “world.” The world of Yetzirah is a world of holy emotion and the angels who serve Hashem with their emotional instinct abide there. Emotions are their mode and so that is their world. The world of Beriah is a world where the Divine intellect, the source of the holy emotions, radiates. Righteous people who served Hashem with intellectually generated emotions abide in this higher world, where the setting is one of deeper identification with the Divine.
99
Tanya Chapter 39: We can move beyond our natural holy instincts, but if not, angels operate by holy instinct too. part 1
Tanya Chapter 39: We can move beyond our natural holy instincts, but if not, angels operate by holy instinct too. part 1
Mar 31, 2022
49:42
Animals are instinctive beings of our physical world. But there are instinctive beings in the higher worlds too – these are the angels. Their powerful instincts of love or fear of Hashem are sublime and magnificent. However, it is a nature which they did not create by choice, by which they simply operate. From this we can appreciate the power of our own service, even if we cannot produce any new emotions, serving Hashem by tapping into the instincts of our soul. Our service then is at least as powerful as that of these mighty instinctive beings, the angels. Since the angels operate by instinct, their abode is in the world of Yetzirah. But the abode of the righteous who serve Hashem with intellectual love and fear, created out of free choice, is beyond that of the angels in the world of Beriah.
100
Tanya Chapter 38 part 6. You may lack the human power to generate new emotions. But that shouldn't stop you from acting on holy instinct
Tanya Chapter 38 part 6. You may lack the human power to generate new emotions. But that shouldn't stop you from acting on holy instinct
Mar 24, 2022
36:30
When a person lacks the capacity to generate new emotions of awe and love for Hashem, he has another path. He can awaken his instinctive love, which is embedded deep within his soul. This powerful love is innate to the Jew and includes within it an element of fear. Being mindful of his deep desire to attach to Hashem, a Jew can then use his awareness to perform a mitzvah. This intention then becomes the soul of the mitzvah, and is analogous to the soul of the animal whose love and fear are not a product of its intelligence and choice, but rather are a natural instinct.